Fire-alarm.



vv. A. Amm. FIRE ALARM.

APPLICATION FILEU )UNE I5, ISIIV l 1 92,?25, Patented July 25, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

W. A. ALCOTT.

FIRE ALARM.

\ APPLICATION FILED JUNE i5, 1914. I 1,1 92,7255.. Patented Ju1y25,1916.

' f l 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

l: I f fg Z7 )Z5 E {zy-- E Q/WHM cameo l I WINNIE n. A1.com, or PUEBLO, coLonAno.

FIRE-ALARM.

Application led'June 15, 1914. Serial No. 845,236. Y,

To all whom t mag/concern.' Be it known that I, WINNIE A. ALCo'r'r, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Pueblo, in the county of Pueblo and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and Yuseful Improvements' in Fire-Alarms, of which the following is a specification.'

This invention relates to signaling, and more particularly to a thermostatically operated fire alarm.

The primary object of this invention is the provision of a lire alarm embodying a telephone connection with the central oice, and a suitable signaling means, which signaling means is operated by an electrical circuit, the closing of which circuit is controlled by a thermostat, so thatl in case of fire or extreme heat in a room in which the device is located, the thermostat will be operated for closing an electrical circuit for sounding the signaling device and transmitting a ire signal toithe central station through the medium of a telephone.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a phonograph to be used in connection with the telephone, which phonograph has a cylinder carried thereby for stating the location of the building in which the thermostat is mounted, and which phonograph is operable synchronously with the cutting in of the telephone, so as to 'impart the exact location of the fire to the central oilice.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, this invention consists in such novel features of construction, combination, and

arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described,illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and claimed.

1n describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a central sectional View through the casing used for retaining the improved firm alarm, exposingthe mechanism included in the irea'larm, Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the signaling mechanism, Fig. 3 is a plan view of the thermostat for. controlling the signaling mechanism, and Fig. 4 is a view showing a modilied form of the signaling mechanism.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 designates the protective casing of the thermostat, which casing has brackets 2 Specication of LettersA Patent.

and 3 mounted therein, to which brackets are pivotally connected, arms 4 and 5. The arms 4 an'd 5 project out of one end of the casing 1, and have hooks 6 formed upon their terminal ends, to which hooks are attached links of fusible material 7. The links .7 of the fusible material are also connected to hooks 8, which hooks are rigidly attached to the casing l in any suitable manner.

rllhe arms 4 and 5 are Dconstructed of brass, copper,'or any material which will conduct electricity with the least amount of resistance, and they are weighted intermediate their ends by weights 9, so that immediately upon the melting of the fuse 7, the bars 4 will move upon their pivotal points downwardly between the` upstanding contacts 10 of the circuit closer or ,switch l1, closing an electrical circuit through the electrical conductors 12 and 13, which conductors are connected to the opposite poles of, a battery or any other suitable electrical energy supply source 14. TheV electrical conductor j 12,

which is connected to the plate 11, has comgraph for rotating the cylinder carried thereby and reproducing, through the medium of the reproducing mechanism 21, any phrases or characters which may be engraved upon the cylinder.

A telephone transmitter 22 is also mounted Within the protective casing 17, and is disposed in the opposite end of the casing from the phonograph 20. The telephone transmitter 22 has communication With the batteries 14 through a conductor 23, and with a conducting plate 24, through a conductor 25. The conductive plate 24 is carried by a lever 26, which lever is pivoted adjacent one of. its ends to a vertical supporting post 27. The lever 26 has an armature 28 secured to the under side thereof, and positioned directly above the pole pieces Patented July 25, 1916.

29 of the solenoids 16, so that upon the passage of an electrical current through the solenoids the armature 28 will be attracted -by the magnetic force of the pole pieces and will operate the lever 26 upon its pivotal point, causing the conductive plate 24 to contact With the conductive plate 30, for closing an electrical circuit through they transmitter 22, and calling the central, or sounding an alarm in the central station with vwhich the transmitter 22 has communication. v

The plate 30 is carried by a vertical supporting post 31, and it is insulated therefrom by a plate of insul-ation 32. rlhe plate 30 has connection with the cont-act 10 through a conductor 33, so that when the electrical circuit is closed'through the operation of the thermostat, the telephone transmitter and the phonograph 2O will be operated synchronously, for transmitting by telephoney to the centrallstation, the words or phrases which are recorded on the cylinder of the phonograph forl acquainting the person stationed at the central oflice of the location of the fire, and announcing that the fire has broken out in the building in which the improved signaling alarm has been stationed. A coil spring 34 is secured to the lever 26 adjacent the forward end of the same for returning the lever to its normal i position, so that the plate 24 will be out of engagement with the plate 30, immediately upon the disconnection of the arms '4 and 5 and the contact 10, or 'upon the opening of the electrical circuit through the various parts heretofore mentioned.

If it is so desired, any suitable type of prime mover, such .as a spring motor or the like, may be employed for operating the phonograph 20, and this prime mover may be connected in any suitable manner with the thermostat so as-to be releasable for operation upon the closure of an electrical circuit therethrough.

In Fig. 4 of the drawings a modified form of the signaling mechanism is shown, which constitutes .an outer protective casing 40, which has solenoids 16 mounted therein, which solenoids have communication through electrical conductors 12 and 13 with a thermostat such as is shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The casing 40 also has a telephone transmitter 22 mounted therein, which telephone transmitter is connected through the medium of conductive connecting elements to conductive plates 24 and 30', which plates are carried respectively by a lever 26 and a vertical upright 31. The lever 26 has an armature 2 8 mounted upon its under surface, which coacts with the pole pieces 29 of the solenoids 16 in a manner identical with the operation of a lever 26 and a plate 28 for serving the same function. The casing 40 has a bell 41 mounted therein, in lieu of the phonograph 20, which bell is connected to the solenoids and the thermostat for actuation upon the closing of an electrical circuit therethrough, for sounding an alarm'intothe telephone transmitter 22. Any other suitable type of signaling mechanism such .as a buzzer or like device, which is electrically operable, may be installed in lieu of the bell if it is so desired.

In the operation of the improved fire alarm as Aabove described; When a fire breaks out in the building in which the improved fire alarm is located, the heat of the fire Will melt the link 7 of fusible material, thereby permitting the arms 4 and 5 to drop due to the Weights 9 carried thereby, and contact with the contacts 10 which Will close an electrical circuit through the various parts of the signaling mechanism located in the casing. 17, which will synchronously sound an alarm or Signal and transmit the same through the telephone transmitter 22 to a central office, which may be located in any convenient place, or may be an ordinary telephone central, which will immediately acquaint the person stationed at the central office of the location of the fire, enabling them to convey the information relative to the lire to suitable parties. It is to be understood that, as illustrated in the drawings, the telephone transmitter is normally out of circuit and is only cut in at the time that the thermostat is operated to close the circuit through the solenoid 16 and motor 18. It will thus be seen that economy of current is effected.

Any number of the thermostats may be mounted within a building, being positioned thereabout .and connected to a single signaling mechanism for sounding the alarm.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the -advantages ofthe construction and the method of operation of the improved ire alarm signal will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, and, while in the foregoing, the principle of the operation has been `.described together with various features of construction, it is to be understood that certain minor features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts may be altered to suit practical conditions, provided such alterations are comprehended within the scope of what is claimed.

lVhat is claimed is In combination, a power Source, a sound reproducingdevice, a motor controlling the operation of the sound reproducing device, a thermostatic circuit closer for the motor, electromagnets in circuit with the motor and the thermostatic circuit closer, a normally open circuit closer, one pole of the last named circuit closer being connected to the ioo 'power source, a transmitter connected between the last named circuit closer and the power source, whereby upon the energization of the electromagnets, the last named circuit closer will close the circuit through the transmitter simultaneously upon the operation of the sound reproducing means.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WINNIE A. ALCOTT.

Witnesses:

WALTER J. BAUER, GROVER J. GERMAN. 

